Genetics of Development and Disease Branch

Laboratories

Genetic Disease Research Section

The Genetic Disease Research Section studies sphingolipids, lipid molecules that form cell membranes and transmit signals to cells. Inherited defects in their metabolism cause rare neurodegenerative disorders in children such as Tay-Sachs disease. Our work is aimed at understanding how these lipids function normally and during diseases, and how we can harness their pathways for new therapies.